Futuristic Deja Vu

Here’s another book that rose to the top of the pile and finally got itself read.

The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

Grade: B

Eoin Colfer is the author of the popular Artemis Fowl series, excellent books that have already been granted permanent positions on my shelves. I don’t need to reread them for the Great Library Purge, which is almost a shame, because they’re so much fun. Having learned to expect great things from Colfer, I started The Supernaturalist with high hopes.

In a futuristic city run by a giant satellite, the Supernaturalists are a group of kids who see creatures that no one else can. The creatures, called Parasites, siphon energy from anyone who is injured or dying. Every night, the Supernaturalists hunt the Parasites, killing as many as they can, until they are caught by the corporation that owns the satellite, and are forced to question everything they know about the city and its Parasites.

My pet peeve about this book is the title, which really ought to be plural. Looking at the cover, on which the word “Supernaturalist” takes the full width, I almost wonder if they accidentally omitted the final “S” or just couldn’t fit it. Who knows? But I would never let the title of a book ruin a story for me. I liked The Supernaturalist well enough, but it wasn’t fresh territory. Almost every element in the story was one I had already seen somewhere else, so I would recommend it only for readers who haven’t yet encountered many sci-fi books, TV shows, or movies.